"All talk was of the gold, or 'the color,' as those who boasted of having more experience had taken to calling it....It had overtaken all else in the minds of the men and women gathered here. There was nothing else now. It was their hope. It was the light at the end of the dark tunnel their lives had become. They had forsaken everything for its promise."
-from the novel
I actually read this book by accident! How? you may ask. I will explain in a later post.
The novel takes place over about 3 years time---1897 to 1900---and revolves around the Klondike gold rush. Anna Denton's father has been offered a "bride price" for her hand in marriage by a rich man known as the King of the Klondike. She is willing to marry Henry Bradwell, a man she doesn't know who is 30 years her senior in order to save her family financially. Starting in Seattle, she must make a long and treacherous trip to reach Dawson City in the Yukon Territory near the Canada/Alaska border. Chaperones have been hired by her prospective husband to get her there safely.
On a boat to Skagway, Anna meets William Leary and Silas Oliver, a couple of friendly young men who are on their way to find gold and make their fortune. As luck would have it, the hired chaperones show they cannot be trusted and Will insists that he and Silas will get Anna to Dawson safely.
After a tedious journey, they do arrive in Dawson where Anna meets her fiancé. I felt the rest of the story was somewhat predictable although it did get rather exciting in spots. I rated this book a 3---good but not great!
I didn't realize until reading about the author that I had read another by him, White Rose, Black Forest, an historical fiction set in WWII Germany which I rated a 5. I guess it was just a more compelling story.
No comments:
Post a Comment